


Two for Two

by ShadowTrooper1414



Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Mpreg (technically?), Pre-Relationship, Pregnancy, Protective Kevin Levin, Teen Pregnancy, Trans Character, Trans Male Ben Tennyson, Unplanned Pregnancy, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2019-10-31 12:32:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17849540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowTrooper1414/pseuds/ShadowTrooper1414
Summary: After the team defeats the Highbreeds, Ben and Kevin have some intimate alone time. A little over a month later, Ben finds himself in a predicament; he's pregnant.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is going to be fun.
> 
> I made Ben trans, mostly because my sister called me a coward and a thot but I was gonna have it be an alien thing. The "Implied Sexual Content" and "Implied/Referenced Underage Sex" are only in this chapter because you have to do-the-do in order to get pregnant (unless it's an alien thing, but this is obviously not an alien thing). It's nothing graphic - there's some groin connection, but only for Ben to show his... um, package. Now, with Ben being pregnant, his character is going to be starkly different from the show, since finding out you're pregnant at 15 can change your entire world view. Also, of the aliens that escape from the Omnitrix in Season 3 Episodes 1 and 2, only two stay the same, and you'll find out which ones they are next chapter. You might be able to guess though.
> 
> With all that junk outta the way, let's get to it.

It was about a week after the final fight with the Highbreeds that Julie broke off their relationship. Ben was a little heartbroken but understood. She wanted to stay friends, which Ben accepted. She would still help them kick alien butt. However, their relationship would never be the same.

The same week, Ben got word that Gwen and Kevin were having issues again. Gwen even ranted to Ben that this was Kevin's last chance - she wasn't going to get back together with him. She immediately followed with a question of if Julie was single now. Ben laughed a little and said yes.

About a week after that, Ben and Kevin were hanging out at Kevin's place. After everything had died down, they decided it would be good to have a designated "guy time" once a week. Sometimes, Kevin would teach Ben about things like cooking, sewing, mechanics, and a bunch of other life skills. Other times, they just hung out. This was one of those times.

They were in Kevin's room playing one of the old Sumo Slammers games. They had just completed a level when Kevin turned to Ben and asked, "You're turning sixteen soon, right?"

"In December, yeah," Ben said. "Why?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you've ever tried any 'teenage stuff' before," Keven said.

"You mean..?" Ben said. When Kevin nodded, he blushed and looked away. "No. It's never really come up. Plus, I've never had the time."

"Why not do it now?" Kevin asked, smirking. "I swing _all_ ways. You're not that bad looking. Not as good as me, of course, but not terrible."

Ben pushed Kevin playfully, grinning slyly. "Oh hush." His smile fell after a second, and he looked at his lap where he was fiddling his hands. "There's something else. I... I'm worried that whoever I decide to do it with first will take one look at my body and run away."

Kevin used a hand to lift Ben's chin. He had a gentle yet sultry smirk on his face, making Ben blush again. "Now why would they do that?" Kevin reached over to pause their game. Then he pulled Ben onto his lap. Out of instinct, Ben wrapped his arms around Kevin.

"Well if you would notice," Ben started, pushing his groin into Kevin's, "I don't exactly have the same package as you."

Kevin was surprised at first but let his face fall into a smirk again. He ran his hands up Ben's sides and chest, making the smaller male shiver. "No binder, I see. Top surgery?"

"Yeah," Ben said. "A few years ago now. I actually figured it out when I was little, and my family was very supportive. The doctors said to wait through puberty until starting hormone therapy - which is hopefully soon."

"Well, as long as you're happy," Kevin said. "Now, you ready?"

Ben thought it over for a second, then nodded. Kevin grinned, then immediately went for his neck. The night was spent with Kevin whispering sweet-nothings to Ben, admiring Ben's scars, calling him "Benji" while he was devoured. Sounds of pleasure filled the air until they were done.

The next morning, Ben woke up before Kevin. He was a little sore and silently thanked Kevin for the bath he gave them since it probably would have been worse without it. He threw his boxers and shirt on, then went to the kitchen to start on breakfast. It was time to put Kevin's lessons to the test.

Breakfast was simple eggs, bacon, and toast. Ben had a quick serving of it, then left a note telling Kevin to call him later, and that breakfast was in the fridge. He retrieved the rest of his clothes and put them on. After a quick debate with himself, he kissed Kevin on the cheek while he was still asleep.

"Too bad this can't be a regular thing," Ben said, smiling sadly.

Then, he left, letting his parents know he was on his way home. Kevin _did_ call him later that day, asking if he wanted to hang out again - dinner and a movie, which Ben said was like a date. Kevin laughed but didn't deny it. It was safe to say that Ben accepted it, then these "dates" continued.

They were essentially dating, which Kevin admitted when asked. It gave Ben a warm feeling in his stomach. Even with the back-and-forth teasing, the companionship was pleasant, though they'd only had sex the one time. He could get used to this. 

* * *

A month later, after experiencing nausea for over a week, found Ben in the bathroom, two empty boxes of pregnancy tests next to him - all of them positive. Tears welled up in his eyes as he fought the incoming panic. He rested his elbows on his knees and his forehead on his hands. He was able to keep his breathing level, but tears slipped out, as did a few sobs.

He spent the next thirty minutes in the bathroom, letting the emotions out, then recollecting himself. He returned to his bedroom in a daze, then reclined on his bed. He turned the TV on to give the room some noise. He changed the channel a few times before an alien teleported in front of the TV.

Ben was sent into a momentary freak-out, pulling him out of his daze. He jumped away from his bed and into a roll. On the floor, he lifted a hand to transform into whatever alien the Omnitrix was on. The alien who had teleported into his room raised his hands in a calming matter.

"Pardon the intrusion, Ben Tennyson," he said. "I mean you no harm. I am Lukik, senior ambassador of the Dracosian Empire."

Ben let himself relax, then stood. He let out a breath as Lukik continued.

"I have been granted the great honor of presenting you with this," Lukik said. A box materialized in his hands. Opening it revealed a medal. "It is a small token of gratitude for your part in saving all life in the universe from extinction at the hands of the Highbreeds."

He bowed, presenting the box. "My people present to you the Dracosian Galactic Medal of Honor, the highest award a non-Dracosian can be given." Lukik placed the medal around Ben's neck, giving a bow.

Ben looked down at it, holding it up a little for inspection. "Thanks." He looked up and smiled, thankful for more than just the award; in all honesty, he was glad the first person, or alien, he talked to after finding out he was pregnant had nothing to say - even if they didn't even know. "It's my honor to receive it."

Lukik had returned to the spot he had teleported into. "The people of Dracosia marvel at your power, and offer you our gratitude." With that, Lukik blinked out of the room.

Ben heaved a sigh. Today had been rather taxing on him emotionally. He took a moment to remove the medal and add it to his ever-growing pile in his closet, then returned to his bed.

Now pulled out of his daze, Ben was able to channel surf properly. He even got excited - to the point of screaming like a fangirl, then immediately putting a hand over his mouth to stifle it - when the live-action Sumo Slammers commercial came on.

Then his phone rang. Ben picked it up and answered, only a little embarrassed when his voice cracked. "Yeah, hello?"

"Ben, it's your cousin, Gwen," the caller said. Her voice sounded both irritated and strained.

"Obviously," Ben said, flipping through the channels, looking for another commercial for the Sumo Slammers movie.

"Is this a bad time?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah, kinda," Ben said. So far, no luck for the preview. "Did I miss something?"

"How'd you know?" Gwen said, tone sarcastic. "You were only _an hour late for our mission_. The bad guy is kicking our butts, so if it's not too much trouble, hero-up, and _get over here_!"

Ben winced at the yell, his mind drifting back to his trip to the drug store, then his subsequent freaking out about the positive pregnancy tests - that was something he'd keep a secret for a bit. "Sorry, Gwen. I've been a little preoccupied for the last hour. Guess I forgot. I'll be right over."

" _Now_ ," Gwen said, then hung up.

Giving up on his search - or rather, putting it off for later - Ben turned the TV off. He stood from his bed, grabbing his jacket then going over to the window and opening it. He reached to the Omnitrix to turn into Jetray but hesitated. How would transforming affect the... Baby? Fetus? He didn't know what to consider it. Them?

Ben shook his head. Hero time now, questions later. He slammed down on the Omnitrix, then transformed into Jetray. 

* * *

 

Once Ben arrived, the fight was over in a few minutes - Ben had flown in, then turned into Cannonbolt and rolled over the snake guy. Gwen and Kevin ran over as he went back to being human.

"Where have you been?" Gwen asked. "We've been fighting that guy for over an hour."

"Sorry," Ben said, emphasizing the end part. "Some stuff came up. They weren't really things I could ignore." He unconsciously placed a hand on his lower stomach.

"Ben, are you sure you're alright?" Kevin asked. "You're acting weird." At Gwen's look, he added, "Weirder than usual. And also less stuck up than lately."

"I'm fine, Kev," Ben said. "I showed up eventually, that's all that matters. I think." He shrugged. "Anyway, let's go to Mr. Smoothy. I've been wanting something sweet."

"Sweet?" Gwen asked, then smirked. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with my cousin?"

"Ha, ha," Ben said, but was smiling. "Just in the mood for something else today." Kevin studied Ben's face intensely, who started to blush under the scrutiny.

"Alright, let's go," Kevin said with an almost-sigh. "Can't stay mad forever." He started towards his car. Gwen and Ben followed him.

The ride there was filled with Gwen and Kevin's quiet chatter. Ben didn't mind it. It gave him an excuse to keep to himself. In the meantime, he looked up what pregnant women should or shouldn't eat and found that most berries were okay. When they got to the smoothie place, he decided on strawberry and banana.

Ben, Kevin, and Gwen settled down at one of the tables with their drinks. Gwen had seated herself _on_ it, while Kevin and Ben sat on the benches, Ben stretching himself out across his.

"While I'm still upset you forgot about the mission and were late," Gwen started, "I'm happy that you showed up and weren't a jerk about it."

"Yeah... still sorry about that," Ben said. "But you can't stay mad at me. I'm adorable."

"Only sometimes," Kevin said. "Recently, you've been more obnoxious than anything else." At Ben and Gwen's surprised look, he added, "Obnoxious - that's what Gwen used to call me all the time. Am I using it right?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Gwen said. "But you're right, Ben. Today, you at least apologized. That's progress."

Ben winced. "Yeah. Sorry again. Guess the whole 'saving the world' thing got to my head."

"Well, if it happens again, don't let it get to your head," Kevin said.

"If, not when," Ben said to himself, relief rushing through him. He placed a hand on his stomach again. It was almost like he was _glad_ nothing major was happening - like he had already accepted that he was going to have this kid.

"So, what stuff made you late?" Kevin asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it," Ben said. "It's a little personal." _More personal to Kevin then he might think, too,_ he thought.

Kevin gave him a suspicious look but dropped it. He turned to Gwen, and they talked for a few minutes, up until the Omnitrix started beeping. Ben looked at the watch, putting his drink down to check it out.

"It's the plumbers' comlink," he said. "That has to be- Grandpa Max?"

"Bad news, Ben," Max said. "Vilgax is back."

"You're kidding me," Ben said, fear almost slipping into his voice. "Last time I threw him into space."

"I'm sure he remembers," Max said. "Vilgax has issued a Conquerer's Challenge to you."

"Ben can't accept that," Kevin immediately said.

Ben hesitated before saying, "Sure I can, but what is it?"

"The Galvan set it up to limit the destruction caused by interplanetary wars," Max said. "Rather than risk destruction, both planets can choose a single warrior to represent them. The winner becomes the ruler of both worlds."

"And Vilgax is challenging _me_?" Ben asked. He didn't know if he could do this. He _just_ found out he was pregnant! If this didn't work out, he could lose both the child's life and his own. Even still, if he refused and the planet was taken over, then the outcome would be almost the same. Even if he didn't die, who knew what kind of world his kid would be born into.

"Okay, I'll do it," Ben said, though reluctance was in his voice. "When and where do I kick his butt?" 

* * *

Kevin turned on the screen in his car. On it was Max's fight with Vilgax. Ben winced as Max shot at Vilgax, making dust and smoke waft around them.

"That's going to leave a mark," he said. The dust cleared - Vilgax didn't look hurt at all. "Or, at least you'd think so."

"He's more powerful than ever, and we barely beat him last time," Gwen said, looking at Ben.

"To be fair, we were only ten years old," Ben said.

"He took down Max and the Plumbers so easily," Kevin said. "I don't want that happening to you."

"And I don't want it to happen to the Earth," Ben retorted. "Besides, they were the rookies. We've dealt with Vilgax before, not to mention we defeated the Highbreed and-"

"Saved the whole universe," Kevin and Gwen interrupted.

"We know," Kevin said. "I still think you're gonna need an edge."

With that, Kevin got out of the car, prompting Gwen and Ben to follow. He opened the door of the garage in front of them, revealing a large, complex-looking machine.

"What's that for?" Ben asked.

"You know the Omnitrix?" Kevin said. "We're gonna hack it."

Ben had an uncertain smile on his face but followed after Kevin. He let Kevin hook his left arm up to the machine, then watched as he went to an operating... laptop. Gwen took a spot next to Kevin.

"I'm not so sure about this," Gwen said.

"Oh, relax," Kevin said, smiling. "I've been, uh- acquiring things we need to fix the Omnitrix for months."

Ben looked at Kevin, smirking. "Years, if you count back when you were trying to steal it from me."

"Let it go, Ben," Kevin said, voice tense. Ben raised his free hand in surrender.

"It's too risky," Gwen said.

 _You don't know the half of it,_ Ben thought, finding himself touching his stomach for a third time that day. Outwardly, he said, "Whatever it takes to beat Vilgax. Besides, it's riskier not to." He looked down to his left hand. "I've figured a lot about how the Omnitrix works, but if we can bypass the safeguards and unlock the Master Control, I'll be able to do so much more with it."

"Do you ever think there's a reason they call them safeguards?" Gwen asked.

"Well, yeah," Ben said. "But if we can get this working, I'll have control of every transformation in the watch. Vilgax won't stand a chance! At least, that's what I hope will happen."

"Alright, I'm in," Kevin said. "Let me see if I can access the user interface."

A green beam went down to the face of the Omnitrix, and small, metal "arms" came out to hold the Omnitrix down before it reverted to its original form. Ben looked over at Kevin.

"Oh, sorry," Kevin said, an unapologetic smile on his face.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Gwen asked as Kevin went back to typing.

"As much as ever," Kevin replied. A few key presses and the Omnitrix went back to its newer appearance. "See? Nothin' to worry about-"

He was cut off by a flashing light coming from the Omnitrix. Ben looked down as beeping started. A moment later, a hologram of Azmuth appeared. He and Ben stared each other down for a moment before Azmuth sighed.

"Ben Tennyson, my disappointment with you is great," Azmuth said.

Ben winced. "That's not anything new lately."

"Once, I believed you possessed the maturity to wield the most powerful weapon in the universe," Azmuth said.

"Then you paid the slightest bit of attention," Gwen said, a scowl on her face.

"It is only very recently that Ben has strayed from the hero's path," Azmuth continued. "You have achieved great things, and that is the only reason that I have allowed you to keep the Omnitrix. I was hoping you would grow into the role, but the full power cannot be entrusted to you at this point. Do _not_ tamper with the Omnitrix, Ben Tennyson. You're not ready."

With that, the hologram fizzled out. Kevin let out a small, "Woah."

"Seriously," Gwen said. "You really dodged a bullet that time, Ben."

"Yeah, I'm thinking so, too," Ben said. "Maybe Azmuth wants me to take it into my own hands, to earn it - but not like this." He looked over to Kevin. "How do I get this machine off of me?"

"There's a button on the side of the panel that should free you," Kevin said. Ben looked around and saw a button with an empty lightning bolt on it. When he pressed it, he wasn't released, but instead, the green beam came back, and small bubbles of energy surrounded the Omnitrix.

"Ben, that doesn't look right," Gwen said. She looked at Kevin. "Can't you turn it off?"

"Forget that, it's overloading!" Kevin said. "Dump the watch!"

"Does 'mended to my DNA' ring any bells?!" Ben snapped, his right hand settled on the watch, trying to do anything to fix it. "It'll take too long! Run for it, both of you!" He swallowed a lump in his throat at the thought of, _What about the baby?_ Ben banished the idea from his mind - he'd figure something out.

Neither Gwen or Kevin moved to get away. However, Kevin ran over to Ben to help get it off.

As he started pulling at the Omnitrix, Kevin said, "Maybe I can-" before stopping himself, noticing the building energy.

Right before the explosion, Ben pushed Kevin towards Gwen, shouting, "Get back!"

The last things Ben noticed before the building collapsed were a pair of wings enveloping him and several small bodies throwing him to the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, not sorry for the cliff hanger. I'll work on the next chapter, but who knows when it'll be out.


	2. Chapter 2

When Ben pulled himself back into consciousness, it was to Gwen muffledly calling both his and Kevin's names. He found himself surrounded by something cold and soft, with small bodies clinging to several of his body parts. When the cold thing unwrapped from his body, he pushed the rubble away.

"I'm right here, Gwen," Ben said, lifting himself onto his hands. After a moment, he realized that the cold thing from before was Big Chill - now in his "cloak" form - and the small bodies were EchoEcho. Goop's "controller" flew up from the wreckage as well, pulling the alien's slime with it. He did a quick check on Ben before flying away.

"Why are there more than one of you?" Gwen asked.

"I don't think they are me," Ben said as Big Chill helped him to his feet. EchoEcho pulled into one, patting Ben's leg, before running in the direction Goop had gone. "What's going on here?"

"That's what I was gonna ask," Gwen said.

A groan from another pile of rubble had the cousins running over to lift the rocks. Kevin was underneath, but he was different. His skin was sectioned into different kinds of materials.

"Kevin!" Gwen exclaimed while Ben gasped.

"What?" Kevin asked. Gwen pulled out a make-up mirror and showed Kevin his reflection. "The garage fell on me, I'm bound to be a little banged up." At seeing what he looked like, he slapped the mirror away, moving to stand on his feet. "I'm a monster again!"

"Kevin, relax," Ben said, standing and putting a hand on Kevin's chest. "Try changing back."

Kevin nodded, then made a show of trying to transform back to normal. "It's not working. It must be feedback from the watch like last time."

"For the record, I still think you look handsome," Ben said, smiling. He moved his hand from Kevin's chest to his face. Then, he looked at the Omnitrix. "I have a better understanding of the watch now. Maybe I can fix this. Except for..." He took a moment to examine the outlines of Big Chill, EchoEcho, Goop, and Way Big.

"I'm missing some of them," he said before looking at Big Chill. "Well, except for him, but I have a feeling I know why he's still here." He fiddled with the watch a bit more, but the noise it was making - and the fact that it was getting louder - was worrying.

A few seconds later, a large projection of Azmuth appeared. "Ben Tennyson! I warned you of the consequences of tampering with the Omnitrix!"

"We were trying to turn the machine off, not go through with it!" Ben said. "It's mostly my fault, though. I pressed the wrong button and sent the Omnitrix into an overload."

Azmuth scrutinized him for a moment before sighing. "Well, it doesn't seem that you are lying, and the Necrofriggan with you further proves that. Even so, the escaped Geno Archetypes - your transformations - will perish if they are not returned to the Omnimatrix within 24 hours, and if they do, their powers will be lost to you forever."

"How do I do that?" Ben asked.

"When you are close to them, set the Omnitrix to Capture Mode," Azmuth said. "It will do the rest itself."

"The yellow setting," Gwen said.

"24 hours, Ben Tennyson," Azmuth said. "Do not fail."

With that, the projection returned to the watch. Ben lowered his hand, turning to Gwen. "Can you track my transformations by their mana?"

"They all have the same energy as you," Gwen said, shaking her head.

"Not a problem," Kevin said. "They all have a version of the Omnitrix. We can track them with our badges."

Ben turned to Big Chill. "You ready to go back in?"

Big Chill put a hand on Ben's stomach. "Safe?"

"Yes, they're safe," Ben said, covering Big Chill's hand with his own. Big Chill nodded, and Ben put the Omnitrix into the correct mode, then held it up. The alien's form was pulled into the watch and the outline filled in. "Thank you."

He lowered the hand that was resting on his stomach - alone now that Big Chill was back in the Omnitrix. Was that why the others were hesitant before leaving? 

* * *

"So what was the deal with Big Chill?" Kevin asked.

"Don't worry about it," Ben said. "It doesn't matter right now."

"It matters if you're hurt or something," Kevin said. "Who or what is safe? Why did Big Chill care? Why have you been touching your stomach so often? Yes, I've noticed - I'm not blind."

"Drop it, Kevin," Ben said. "Or would you like me to bring up your skin issue?"

Kevin opened his mouth to respond, but Gwen stopped him with, "Stop it, you two. This isn't helping anyone." She looked between them. "Aren't you supposed to be dating or something?"

Ben choked, blushing. " _Gwen_! We've just been going on dates! I mean, I was gonna make it official today, but-"

"I get it, Ben," Kevin said. "You don't wanna go out with me anymore, not looking like this. I'm a monster now."

"Kevin, you're not a monster," Ben said, leaning forward to touch Kevin's shoulder. "Stop saying that." He looked down, biting his lip. "And for the record, I'm sorry. If I had just let you disconnect the watch yourself, then this wouldn't have happened. If I had refused to go along with it, then-"

"Then nothin'," Kevin said. "I would've insisted that we do it anyway, despite the circumstances, and you would've given in because... you care."

Ben started to reply but got interrupted by the badge beeping. "We found EchoEcho."

They rolled up to the pier. An ear-piercing sound was resonating from somewhere but facing away from them. Kevin and Gwen got out of the car, followed by Ben. A quick look across the boardwalk revealed that EchoEcho was on the water tower, screeching at the ocean.

"Not exactly one for words anymore, is he?" Ben asked rhetorically.

"Without your intelligence, such as it is, EchoEcho has nothing but instinct," Gwen said.

"Then what is he doing?" Kevin asked.

"To be honest, I have no clue. Ben?" Gwen said, to which Ben shrugged.

"So we found him, what now?" Kevin asked.

"I could try talking to him," Ben suggested.

"Are you sure that'll work?" Gwen asked.

"Well, they didn't immediately run away, and EchoEcho was even like Big Chill - they both actively protected me," Ben said. At Gwen and Kevin's look, he added, "Well, the message got across. Just leave it to me."

Ben walked over to the base of the water tower. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted, "EchoEcho! Come down, I wanna talk!"

The alien stopped his screeching and looked down. At seeing it was just Ben, a happy expression crossed his face and he leaped to the pier. EchoEcho ran up to Ben, patting his leg, just like he did in the warehouse.

Ben crouched and pat EchoEcho's head. "What were you doing up there, little guy?"

EchoEcho made a motion with his hand that made them look goopy, then another where he stretched his arms out as far as possible.

"Trying to call Goop and Way Big?" Ben asked, surprised. At EchoEcho's nod, he smiled. "Don't worry about it. Gwen, Kevin, and I can find them. I need you to go back into the watch. Can you do that?"

EchoEcho was still for a moment, then felt Ben's stomach. After noticing the _very_ small bump - more bloating than anything - and using gentle vibrations to explore the minute movements inside, EchoEcho nodded, pulling his hand away. Ben rubbed his head as if to say "Good boy," then put the Omnitrix into Capture Mode. Just like Big Chill, EchoEcho's form got sucked into the watch, and the outline was filled in.

Ben returned to Gwen and Kevin. "One down, two to go. Where do we go next?" 

* * *

"We've been at this for _hours_ ," Kevin groaned. "We should stop and rest."

"Well, if you're getting tired, I can drive," Ben said, leaning forward.

"No way, Ben," Kevin said. "For one, you always wreck my ride, and for two, you don't have your license."

"I have my permit, and you've been driving long enough to count," Ben said. "Come on, Kevin."

" _You_ should be trying to sleep, Ben," Gwen said, plugging her Plumber badge into her laptop. "There are only about ten, maybe eleven more hours until your fight with Vilgax, and we still have to get Goop."

"What are you doing?" Ben asked.

"Getting a wider tracking range," Gwen said. She looked at Ben. "I'm serious. You should sleep while you can."

Ben scowled. "There's not enough time. Besides, I'm not even tired!" At Gwen's look, Ben turned to Kevin. "Back me up here, Kev!"

"She's right, Ben," Kevin said. "Vilgax has beaten the greatest warriors of ten worlds. This isn't gonna be a walk in the park."

"I'm not too worried," Ben said, leaning back in his seat. He took a more leisure posture but kept his expression neutral. "I beat him when I was a kid."

"You should be," Gwen said. "Those heroes he beat? Now he has all their powers, too."

That didn't reassure Ben in the slightest. That's who he was gonna fight? It wasn't like he could take it back, but he wasn't so sure he could beat Vilgax anymore. He had a passenger now. Sure, he wasn't far enough along for it to affect him a _lot_ , but they were still there.

"Not to mention that your Omnitrix is busted," Kevin said.

"You broke it!" Ben snapped. So this was what mood swings were like.

"No, you broke it, and turned me into this!" Kevin gestured to himself.

"Cut it out, you two!" Gwen exclaimed. "You're acting like children again."

Kevin glared at Ben in the mirror before sighing. "Sorry about blowing up like that. Today's been... stressful.

Ben smiled apologetically. "You don't know the half of it."

"Get some rest, Benji," Kevin said. "I'll wake you up when we get there."

"Thanks, Kev," Ben said. He settled back, leaning to one side, then rested his head on the back of the seat. After he closed his eyes, he was able to fall asleep within five minutes.

After what only felt like seconds, but what probably hours, Ben was woken up by the beeping of Gwen's tracker. He quickly shook himself awake, mumbling something that sounded like, "I'm up, I'm up."

"Was about to wake you up," Kevin said, stopping the car. "We found Goop." 

* * *

"Phew, smells like a sewer in here," Ben said, even as he kept his nose plugged. He could feel the vomit coming just from being here.

"Now isn't the time, Ben," Gwen said. "Are we sure Goop is even down here?"

"It's a sewer; of course there's goop down here!" Ben smirked.

"Ben, I'm not kidding," Gwen said in a deadpan. "No more sewer jokes."

"Smells like a plan to me," Ben said. He saw Gwen raise her hand, then raised his own in surrender. "Before you hit me, just know, that I might throw up."

Gwen glared at him for another second, before going back to looking around. Ben stuck his tongue out at her while she wasn't looking, then looked at the watch.

"Hope there aren't any alligators down here," Ben said.

"Alligators?" Kevin said fearfully.

"I heard that people get baby alligators as pets, then flush them down the toilet," Ben said, making a "claw" with his free hand. "They get _gigantic_ in the sewer."

"Maybe I should go up top and guard the exit," Kevin said.

"What, are you scared?" Ben sneered playfully. "It's okay, I'll protect you."

"Coming from the guy who can't take a whiff of this place without throwing up," Gwen said. "Besides, there are no alligators in the sewers. That's just an urban myth."

"Yeah, and we're supposed to be an urban myth, too," Kevin said. "Anyway, you're scared of spiders."

Gwen hugged herself but kept the light source going. "Are there spiders down here?"

"Probably not; it's too wet," Ben said. He looked down, spotting Goop anti-gravity projector. He picked it up. "Hey, wait up. Look what I found."

"So where's the rest of him?" Kevin asked. Ben wasn't able to answer since Goop's... goop came up and enveloped him. He reached out to try and escape, but it conformed to his body.

Ben sat there for a moment, trying to move but unable to. He couldn't really breathe, but it wasn't constricting his breathing either. It was like a weird limbo.

He was stuck for about a minute, then the slime loosened enough for him to move. He reached over to the Omnitrix, pressed the button, then slammed down on whatever was there. He burst from the goop, shouting, "Swampfire!"

The anti-gravity generator gathered the scattered goop, forming Goop's body. Goop then ran off. Ben tried to do what he could by jumping on it, but that proved to be fruitless, at Goop dodged, then kept going anyway. Instead, he stretched his arm out, then grabbed the anti-gravity generator and pulled it to him.

"You're not going anywhere," Ben said as the Omnitrix absorbed Goop's form. He detransformed and turned to where Gwen and Kevin were getting out of the rubble. "That wasn't too hard."

"Say that to your stomach," Kevin said.

"My what?" Ben asked nervously. Then a strong wave of nausea hit him, and he doubled over, vomiting into the sewer water. After dry heaving a few times, he wiped his mouth and stood straight. "Oh. That's what you meant."

Gwen walked over, patting down his shoulders as she did a once-over. "Come on. Let's get you out of here before that happens again."

"Let's." 

* * *

"We've only got an hour before you have to fight Vilgax," Gwen said.

"And we're maybe forty minutes away from Way Big's location," Kevin continued. "I'm not a math major but-"

"Yeah," Ben interrupted, leaning forward in the seat. "Here's the plan-" Gwen's badge beeped, cutting him off.

"Yeah, Grandpa?" Gwen answered.

"It's almost showtime, Ben," Max said. "And I've been thinking; Vilgax is Plumber business. Great as you are, you're still just a kid. Let me take care of this."

"Grandpa, let me stop you right there," Ben said. "For one thing, I have a better reason to win this fight than proving myself. For another, this is my fight. Vilgax challenged _me_ , and I'm the one with the Omnitrix." At Kevin's look, he added, "Well, most of it."

"You have less than an hour, Ben," Max said.

"I'll be there, and I'll win," Ben said, leaning back. "The planet - everyone and everything on it, born or not - needs me to win. Love you, Grandpa. I won't let you down."

"How are you supposed to defeat Vilgax without Way Big?" Gwen asked. "He's your most powerful transformation."

"And he's how you beat Vilgax last time, right?" Kevin asked.

Ben smirked. "He'll be how I beat him this time, too. I'll just stall him."

"Until?"

"Until you guys bring Way Big." 

* * *

Ben had arrived at the scene with a few moments to spare. Vilgax crashed onto the battlefield in a ball of fire. The plan went smoothly, though. Ben kept Vilgax distracted until Gwen and Kevin were able to bring Way Big.

Once Way Big was there, it was a matter of transforming into him. Only Ben got Chromastone - though, he had noticed Way Big had almost protected him, just like the other transformations. Gwen had said they were acting on instinct without his higher intelligence; apparently, that was protecting Ben, or more accurately, the fetus developing inside him.

Regardless, despite Vilgax breaking Chromastone into thousands of little pieces, Ben was still able to defeat him. Diamondhead reformed from the shards, then Vilgax was easily beaten.

Kevin gave Ben a squeezing hug and a forehead kiss when they were able to reunite after Max's speech - and his revelation that Ben's secret was still a secret. Ben, caught up in the emotions, returned the embrace, kissing Kevin fully on the lips.

When they parted, Ben felt his face flush. "I should get going. My parents are going to be worried."

"Yeah," Kevin said. "I'm sorry about our argument earlier. It was a tense situation."

"I understand," Ben smiled. "Besides, I got some of my own stuff going on." He gave Kevin another kiss on the cheek. "Drive me home, okay?" 

* * *

Ben waved Kevin good-bye with a small smile. He was still a little giddy from beating Vilgax. However, his mood immediately plummeted when he opened the door to his house. His parents were waiting for them, both with disappointed expressions.

"How long did you think you could hide it?" Carl asked. "When were you going to tell us?"

"I can't believe you, Benjamin Kirby Tennyson," Sandra said. She turned to Carl. "This is what we get for letting him do as he wants. He betrays our trust."

"Mom, dad, I have no idea what you're talking about," Ben said, raising his arms. Sandra pulled out the pregnancy tests Ben had took, and he felt the blood drain from his face. "That's not-"

"Isn't it?" Carl cut in coldly. "Who was it? A friend from school?"

"No, it-"

Sandra grew horrified. "Did- did they force you?!"

"God, mom! No! He-"

"Then it was that ruffian friend of yours," Carl said, crossing his arms. At Ben's hesitation to correct him, he let out a sigh. "Just go to your room. We'll figure out a punishment later."

Ben opened his mouth, then closed it again, seeing his parents' sad, closed off expressions. He nodded, then quietly brushed past them. As he closed the door, he heard his mom turn to Carl and ask, "Where did we go wrong?"

Ben bit his lip. _He_ was the stupid one. He'd deal with the consequences of his actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about being dead for, like, 4 months or smth like that. But I hope you enjoyed that! Next chapter, we're skipping an episode and going straight to the gold poop episode.


End file.
